Last year, Aleksandar Stanković bravely addressed depression as a serious illness with the publication of his book Depra, initiating a public dialogue on mental health in Croatia and contributing to the destigmatization of mental illness. For this reason, the jury of the Grand PRix Award of the Croatian Public Relations Association included him among the finalists for Communicator of the Year.
“In the book, and later in media appearances, Stanković openly describes his personal battle with depression, which has lasted for 14 years. As a longtime editor and host, he is known for his sharp interviews, but with this public statement, he showed personal vulnerability, which further earned the public’s trust. His communication about depression was not sensationalist but educational, empathetic, and focused on genuinely changing the public’s perception of the illness,” highlights the Grand PRix HUOJ jury, led by Igor Crnčić.
The editor and host of the Croatian Radiotelevision show Nedjeljom u 2 revealed that two reasons lie behind his decision to write and speak publicly about depression.
“The first reason is the desire to help people with similar problems, because it means a lot to depressed individuals to hear the experiences of others who have been struggling with the illness for years. The second reason is to educate the broader public about the illness in order to remove the stigma from those suffering, especially since depression is soon expected to become the number one illness in the world,” said Stanković.
He is glad to be a finalist for Communicator of the Year, and when asked what he considers most important for effective public communication, he says: “The minimum is decency. The rest is an upgrade. Empathy, attention, respect for others…”
In addition to Stanković, the platform Grof Darkula is also in the running for the Communicator of the Year award. The third finalist will be revealed soon.
